San Antonio Spurs vs. Philadelphia 76ers Prediction, Preview, and Odds
On Monday night, the San Antonio Spurs travel to the Wells Fargo Center for a road meeting against the Philadelphia 76ers. The Spurs dispatched the Washington Wizards on Saturday. The 76ers defeated the Charlotte Hornets. The tip is at 7:10 PM ET. Philadelphia opens as a big home favorite.
Spurs Outlast the Wizards
In a battle between two of the worst teams in the NBA, San Antonio prevailed Saturday over the Washington Wizards with a 131-127 home win. Victor Wembanyama returned after sitting out a game to score 24 points and had eight rebounds. Tre Jones added 11 points, 12 assists, and eight rebounds for the Spurs, while Jeremy Sochan scored 23 points and Devin Vassell had 21.
They were down 12 with under five minutes remaining but came back to win. “Playing as a team again,” Wembanyama said of the difference down the stretch. “I think we were slow. I was very slow. My legs were heavy tonight. And getting some stops. We relaxed and I could feel the shift from all my teammates - me included - in the fourth quarter and fortunately, it worked. Everyone was involved.”
Wembanyama sat out for the sixth time this season against Charlotte on Friday night. The No. 1 overall pick sprained an ankle on Dec. 23 at Dallas, and the Spurs have been cautious with him. That is not surprising as they are buried at the bottom of the West, and will be playing for a chance at a playoff spot next season. With Wemby there, San Antonio becomes a popular free-agent destination this offseason.
Embiid Dominant Again
Philadelphia dominated the fourth quarter against the Charlotte Hornets Saturday night in a 97-89 win. Joel Embiid had 33 points to extend his franchise-record run of 30 or more to 20 games. They have won five in a row. Tobias Harris added 21 points and Tyrese Maxey had 16 points and eight assists. Embiid proved to be too much for a Charlotte team playing without centers Mark Williams and Nick Richards.
Charlotte was forced to defend Embiid with P.J. Washington, and he fouled out. The Hornets played without LaMelo Ball, who sat out because of soreness in his right ankle after helping the Hornets beat San Antonio on Friday night. Nick Nurse was pleased with his team's defense in the fourth quarter. “You could notice the difference in our energy level in that last quarter,” Nurse said. "I thought Tobias (Harris) really sparked us there as well, finally somebody was scoring and we got some transition buckets. I was happy with our loose ball recovery tonight, we started knocking a few guys diving on the floor picking them up, so it was not a thing of beauty but it was hard fought and the result is what we’re after.” They hold a 28-13 record heading into this game.
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Joel Embiid continued his dominant stretch with another excellent performance Saturday night. Embiid had 33 points to extend his franchise-record run of 30 or more to 20 games. They have won five in a row and face a Spurs team that has lost 17 of its last 20 road games. They are rebuilding, and young Wemby has played well against inferior opponents, but they face a stingy Sixers defense allowing the second-lowest home three-point shooting percentage. Opposing teams are shooting over 40% from deep against the Spurs, the third-highest mark in the league. This should be an easy road win for a Philadelphia team that has its sights set on an Eastern Conference title run. Take the 76ers to win and cover.
Prediction: Philadelphia 76ers
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Under coach Popovich and a slew of young players, the Spurs have cranked up the tempo this year, coming in third in pace of play. Wembanyama sat out for the sixth time this season against Charlotte on Friday night. The No. 1 overall pick sprained an ankle on Dec. 23 at Dallas, and the Spurs have been cautious with him. That is not surprising as they are buried at the bottom of the West, and will be playing for a chance at a playoff spot next season. He will play in this game, and although Pop hinted at a minutes limit, he will still play around 25 minutes. In 27 minutes, he scored 24 on the Wizards and should deliver the same output here. Regardless, take the over in a game dominated by Philly.
Prediction: OVER
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